Dose time indicator closure means for receptacles



S. BENDER May 27, 1969 DOSE TIME INDICATOR CLOSURE MEANS FOR RECEPTACLES Filed March 14, 1967 I NVENT OR nll l llll! III/Ill iilahmnl Samuel Bender ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,446,179 DOSE TIME INDICATOR CLOSURE MEANS FOR RECEPTACLES Samuel Bender, 6118 Riverdale Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10471 Filed Mar. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 623,077 Int. Cl. G09f 9/40; B65d 83/04, 85/56 U.S. Cl. 116-121 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cover for receptacles having an auxiliary pill-holding portion and a closure member to seal said pill-holding portion, said pill-receiving portion having time indicia inscribed thereon whereby indicating means carried by said closure member will coact with said time indicia to enable the user to record the time the next pill is to be taken, and orientation means provided whereby said closure member can be selectively seated Within said pillreceiving portion to preclude accidental movement of said closure member once seated.

This invention relates generally to bottle stoppers or covers including a plug portion that is adapted to be inserted in the neck of a bottle, and more particularly to a bottle cover having an auxiliary pill-holding compartment therein which is isolated from the main body of the bottle. The invention further includes means incorporated into the cover whereby by adjusting the components of said cover, the time prescribed for the consumption of the next pill, capsule or the like, can be recorded or indicated to the user, said components further including positive orientation means whereby once united by a coaxial pressing action, rotation of said components will be precluded to thus preserve the set time indication.

Whereas, medicine bottles for holding sedatives, diabetic tablets, hormone pills or other potent drugs as well as routine medications are commonly utilized directly by the patient as a source of the prescribed medication, certain disadvantages and dangers are prevalent concerning the use of such conventional containers. Specifically, among the most salient of such dangers, is the forgetfulness of the patient with respect to the exact number of pills to be taken and with respect to the exact time the next portion is to be taken. Quite commonplace'is the labeling of the bottle concerning the foregoing information; however for several reasons, such as smearing of the labelled data or poorly light conditions, either the required portion or the proper time or both are accidentally mistaken whereby the patient may suffer dire consequences.

Accordingly, and consonant with the foregoing, the instant invention has for an object the provision of an improved cover member for a bottle or the like, said cover having an auxiliary pill-receiving portion whereby the exact next dose may be replaced and carried immediately after a dose is taken, while the knowledge of the quantity of such dosage is still fresh in the patients mind, such next dose being isolated from the main body of pills in the bottle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character which includes means for clearly recording the time at which a dose had just been taken or the time at which the next dose is to be taken, such time indicating means being an inherent part of the device.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of closure means for receptacles having a selectively positionable plug portion receivable within a pill-receiving portion, whereby once positioned, orientation means will preclude relative rotational movement of said portions.

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Another object of the present invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing which includes time indicia inscribed upon the pill-receiving portion and a transparent cap portion peripherally disposed with respect to the plug portion, whereby said indicia can be viewed through said cap portion when said plug and pillreceiving portions are mutually seated.

Another general object of the present invention is to provide a device of the described character which will be simple in structure, economical of manufacture and highly effective in use.

Other objects and advantages of the instant closure means for receptacles will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice of the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the structure defined and pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the present cover member wherein the plug and pillreceiving portions are mutually seated;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cover member taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, said cover member being shown threadedly connected to the neck portion of a partially shown bottle;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the auxiliary pillreceiving portion taken along plane 33 of FIGURE 2 illustrating the time indicia inscribed upon the peripheral shoulder thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the closure mem ber illustrating the tongued plug portion and cap portion thereof, the latter having indicating means thereon;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of the invention, the components thereof being seatingly connected;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cover member taken along line 66 of FIGURE 5, said cover member being shown pressingly secured into the neck portion of a partially shown bottle;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the auxiliary pillreceiving portion taken along plane 77 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the closure member illustrating the polygonal configuration of the plug portion thereof.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, FIG- URES l and 2 show the cover member designated generally by numeral 1.

More specifically, the cover member will be seen to comprise auxiliary pill-receiving portion 2 and closure member 4, the latter being adapted to be removably and sealingly seated within the former. Said auxiliary pillreceiving portion, as shown, includes a hollow cavity 6 which is capable of holding a portion of pills or capsules in an amount required for a particular dosage, said cavity being defined by a cylindrical body 8 which terminates with an open upper end 10 and a closed lower end 12. Cylindrical body 8 further includes inner and outer side walls 14 and 16, respectively, shoulder 18 which extends laterally and peripherally with respect to said upper end, and a downwardly extending lip portion 20 integral with said shoulder and spacedly disposed with respect to said outer side wall 16 to thus provide an annular opening between said lip portion and said outer side wall. Said lip portion 20 is threaded at its inner surface at 22 whereby said pill-receiving portion of said cover member is removably threadedly connected to externally threaded neck portion 24 of a main receptacle or bottle 26. A saw tooth edge 21 to provide on the outer surface of lip portion 20 to provide a gripping surface for ease in removal. Accordingly, said cover member may be removed by unscrewing from the neck of the main receptacle whereby access to the main supply of pills, or the like may be gained. A dosage can be removed from the main receptacle and placed in the cavity 6 and the cover member replaced on the neck of the main receptacle. Access to the cavity 6 for adding and removing pills is attained by removal of the closure member 4 from the auxiliary pill-receiving portion 2.

With particular reference now to FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings, closure member 4 will be observed to integrally comprise cap and plug portions 28 and 30, respectively, said plug portion depending from said cap portion. The lug portion 30 has an open bottom 44 as shown in FIGURE 2, said plug portion is snugly receivable within the cavity 6 of said pill-receiving portion 2 for sealing relation against inner side wall 14 thereof. Thereby, plug portion 28 serves as a stopper to effect closure of said cavity 6.

As aforementioned, the instant device includes among its advantages, a time-indicating function; that is, to positively enable indication of the time at which the next medicinal portion is to be taken. Such function is achieved by the relative placement of the closure member with respect to the pill receiving portion. Thus, by selectively orienting the former with respect to the latter when they are cooperatively combined, the user, at a later time will readily observe when the next portion should be taken. Suitable orientation means are provided surfacedly of the inner side wall 14 of the auxiliary pill-receiving portion and surfacedly of the plug portion, these orientation means cooperating to permit selectively variable positioning of the play portion within the pill-receiving portion and to preclude rotation of the plug portion once selectively received within the auxiliary ill-receiving portion.

To that end, time indicia, e.g., 112, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, are inscribed radially upon said pillreceiving portion adjacently of the upper end of said cavity. In the embodiment shown, said indicia are provided upon said shoulder 18. Indicating means 32 is provided, as shown, upon the cap portion of said closure member, the form of said indicating means in this embodiment being on arrow. Inasmuch as said closure member is formed of transparent plastic, when seated within said cavity 6, said time indicia is visible through said cap portion whereby arrow 32 may be aligned selectively with a time indicium to thus coact therewith as shown in FIGURE 1 to indicate that the next pill taking time is, e.g., 12:00 oclock.

To achieve the aforementioned positive orientation between closure member 4 and pill-receiving portion 2, a plurality of spaced, parallel grooves 34, are provided surfacedly of said inner side wall 14 of said cavity 6, said grooves extending substantially the distance between said open upper and closed lower end thereof. A plurality of spaced, parallel tongues 36 are provided surfacedly of said plug portion 30, and extend substantially the length thereof, each of said tongues being receivable within a groove when the plug portion is pressed into cavity 6. Inasmuch as arrow 32 is fixed with respect to cap portion 28 and each one of said grooves correspond with a respective time indicium, said arrow may be caused to point to any one of said indicium by selectively placing said plug portion within the cavity.

The materials from which the cover member is formed are preferably yieldable to the extent normally inherent in plastics, e.g., styrene, or rubber usually utilized in the manufacture of bottle stoppers. The press fit between the plug portion and the side wall of the cavity may additionally include a slight taper to facilitate retention of one part within the other.

It will be appreciated that inasmuch as the number or units of the aforesaid time indicia may be varied, the

number of grooves and tongues may similarly be varied to correspond therewith.

Referring now to the alternate embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 5-8 of the drawings wherein like parts are designated by like numerals used in describing the above preferred embodiment, the essential modifications will be observed to reside essentially in the orientation and indicating means utilized.

Specifically, to the end of achieving positive orientation between closure member 4a and pill-receiving portion 2a, a plurality of angularly related flat surfaces 40, which together form an elongate concave polygonal surface on the inside wall 14a of cavity 6a, cooperate with a plurality of fiat surfaces 42, which together form an elongate convex polygonal surface on plug portion 30a. As aforedescribed with respect to the tongue and groove arrangement, each of the flat surfaces on the plug portion seatingly corresponds with any one of the flat surfaces provided on the side wall of the cavity, said plug portion being therefore, sealingly receivable within said cavity when the former is pressed into the latter. Further, a tapered fit may be provided to assure such sealing relation.

Indicating means 43 comprises an aperture through cap portion 4a, whereby although the latter is opaque, an indicium, e.g., 12 as shown in FIGURE 5, will be readily viewable when said closure member and pill-receiving portion are united. Thus, by selectively positioning the plug portion within said cavity 6a, any one of the shown indicia can be made to appear through the aperture to thereby indicate when the next pill is to be taken.

As further illustrated in FIGURE 6, outside wall 16a of said pill-receiving portion is sealingly pressed into neck portion 24a of said main receptacle 26a, there being no threaded connection therebetween.

Inasmuch as plug portion 30a of either embodiment is hollow and open bottomed at 44, an ample portion of pills or capsules 46 can, as shown, be received within said pill-receiving portion when said plug portion is received therewithin.

Although a preferred and alternate embodiment of the cover means has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the forms, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. In a receptacle for holding pills and the like, the combination comprising a main receptacle having an externally threaded neck portion, and a cover member removably associated therewith, said cover member comprising an auxiliary pill-receiving portion and a closure member ceiving portion including an inner and outer side wall, an open upper and a closed lower end, a shoulder extending laterally and peripherally with respect to said upper end, and a downwardly extending lip portion integral with said shoulder and spacedly disposed with respect to said outer side wall to provide an annular opening between said lip portion and said outer side wall, said lip portion being threaded whereby said cover member is removably threadedly connected to said externally threaded neck portion of said main receptacle, said closure member integrally comprising a cap and plug portion, said plug portion depending from said cap portion and being snugly receivable against the inner side wall of said auxiliary pill-receiving portion, time indicia inscribed radially upon said shoulder and indicating means provided upon said cap portion, means for selectively positioning said closure member within said cover member including a plurality of cooperating surfaces on said inner side wall of said pill-receiving portion and on said plug portion of said closure member whereby said time indicia means and said indicating means will visually display the desired pill-taking time.

2. In a receptacle as set forth in claim 1, said cap portion being transparent whereby said time indicia upon said shoulder will be viewable through said cap portion when the latter is superposed with respect to said shoulder.

3. In a receptacle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said indicating means comprises an opening through said cap portion, said time indicia being viewable through said opening when said cap portion is superposed with respect to said shoulder.

4. An article as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plug portion includes a transparent cap portion integrally connected therewith, said time indicia being radially arranged upon said cover member adjacently of said open upper end thereof, said indicating means being visibly alignable with said time indicia, and wherein said plug portion is hollow and open at the bottom thereof.

5. In a receptacle for holding pills and the like, the combination comprising a main receptacle having a neck portion, and a cover member removably associated therewith, said cover member comprising an auxiliary pill-receiving portion and a closure member removably associated therewith, said auxiliary pill-receiving portion including a side wall, an open upper end and a closed lower end and a shoulder extending laterally and peripherally with respect to said upper end, the outer diameter of said side wall being approximately the same as the inner diameter of said neck portion to provide a relatively tight fit, said closure member integrally comprising a cap and plug portion, said plug portion depending from said cap portion and being snugly receivable against the inner side wall of said auxiliary pill-receiving portion, time indicia inscribed radially upon said shoulder and indicating means provided upon said cap portion, means for selectively positioning said closure member within said cover member including a plurality of cooperating surfaces on said inner side wall of said pill-receiving portion and on said plug portion of said closure member whereby said time indicia means and said indicating means will visually display the desired pill-taking time.

6. In a receptacle as set forth in claim 5, said cap portion being transparent whereby said time indicia upon said shoulder will be viewable through said cap portion when the latter is superposed with respect to said shoulder.

7. In a receptacle as set forth in claim 5 wherein said indicating means comprises an opening through said cap portion, said time indicia being viewable through said opening when said cap portion is superposed with respect to said shoulder.

8. An article as set forth in claim 5 wherein said plug portion includes a transparent cap portion integrally connected therewith, said time indicia being radially arranged upon said cover member adjacently of said open upper end thereof, said indicating means being visibly alignable with said time indicia, and wherein said plug portion is hollow and open at the bottom thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 650,617 5/1900 Salomon 116-121 X 2,211,326 8/1940 Gillice 220-23 X 2,215,466 9/1940 Ehrlich 116-121 2,706,464 4/1955 North 116-121 3,064,800 11/1962 Hart 206-42 3,151,599 10/1964 Livingston 116-121 3,367,484 2/1968 Nelson 206-42 LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner. DANIEL M. YASICH, Assistant Examiner.

U 5. Cl. X.R. 206-42; 220-23 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 569 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 6, 179 Dated May 27, 9 9

Inventor(s) 3- BENDER It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 4, line 52, after "member" the following has been omitted (line 6. of claim 7 of Specification) --r'emovably associated therewith, said auxiliary pill- SzGNED AN'u SEALED mill!- JR.

Mm] comissioner of Patent:

mom: 

